Top 150 Tips for Canada’s Birthday… Get Motivated to Move!

We are on a mission to get Canadians moving in honor of our nation’s 150^th birthday this year, with 150 awesome tips to get you started.  So let’s begin!

1. Being sedentary is hazardous for your health! Exercise not only lowers your blood pressure, reduces health complications such as diabetes and obesity, it also makes you look and feel great!
2. Schedule a time in your day for your daily exercise. Don’t compromise this time for anything.
3. Don’t know where to start? Get walking! A moderately fast-paced walk is a phenomenal way to get your heart pumping, and better yet, all you have to do is head out your door.
4. Start with 30 minutes. Research indicates that a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day is necessary. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Want to aim even higher? You can achieve more health benefits, including increased weight loss if you ramp up your exercise to 300 minutes a week.
5. Want to lose weight and keep your blood sugar steady? Exercising within 20 minutes after eating is a great way to do just that. Try it, you may just like how you look and feel.
6. Think about your goal. Do you want to lose weight, be able to run a certain distance or put on muscle or just get fit? To meet your specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more or choose specific activities that will get you where you want. Need help? Getting an expert to help you with a plan and structure helps you get and stay on track. Want to aim even higher? You can achieve more health benefits, including increased weight loss if you ramp up your exercise to 300 minutes a week. Want to lose weight? The amount of exercise you do has to burn more calories than what you consume. It’s a pretty simple equation. Ramping up your exercise to 300 minutes per week is a great start and watching the number of calories that you consume will show you the results.
7. Get an exercise buddy. Nothing is more motivating than a friend who won’t let you cancel on your exercise date.
8. Keep track of your exercise program and what you did. Invest in a device like a Fitbit or use an app to track your progress and plan goals. Looking back at where you started and what you have accomplished is a great motivator.
9. Choose an activity that you like. If you hate running but are forcing yourself to do it, that’s not going to last long. Try out various different types of exercise and find one that you actually enjoy doing!
10. Consider hiring a personal trainer or going to instructor-led classes so that you can make sure that you are using good form to avoid injury and…. keep you accountable!
11. No pain, no gain? That’s not so true anymore….if an exercise hurts, then you need to modify what you are doing not stop!
12. Too old to exercise? No way! You may simply have to change what you do, but moving is essential to longevity and health.
13. How is your balance? Having good stability can prevent injury. Can you stand on one leg for 20 seconds without falling? How about with your eyes closed? Challenge yourself regularly to improve!
14. Flexibility is a key component of fitness. Incorporating a stretching program into your fitness regime is important to prevent injury.
15. Choose an exercise that you can fit into your daily routine. Try riding your bike to work and take a long way home.
16. Get a nagging injury looked at by a professional rather than stopping exercising. Often there is a modified or alternative exercise that would keep you moving while you are healing.
17. Physical activity is good for the mind, body and SOUL. Done daily, it will boost not only your fitness but your mood and decrease your stress.
18. Train smarter, not harder. Choose the appropriate exercise for your age level, fitness and injury so that it doesn’t become a chore to do.
19. Pelvic floor muscles need to be trained regularly! Learn how to recruit those muscles to build a strong core and prevent injury. Practicing squeezing them every day!
20. Want your hips and knees to last a lifetime? Try non-weight-bearing exercises like bike riding and swimming.
21. Daily moderate exercise is better than the weekend warrior. Make it part of your daily routine.
22. Don’t love exercise? Choose a hobby or activity that makes you move. Slip on those dancing shoes.
23. Think it’s too late to start exercising? Our bodies are amazing; they can change no matter how old or deconditioned you are.
24. Walk or ride your bike to the store to get your groceries and do errands.
25. Stiff back in the morning or after sitting? Spend 2 or 3 minutes stretching. It will love you for it.
26. Try using walking poles if you are scared of falling when walking. It’s better to walk with assistance than not at all.
27. Recovering from an injury? A little soreness after returning to exercise is normal but it should be gone by the next day. If not, then you might need to back off a little to aid in your recovery.
28. Sore knees? Build up your core, glut and inner quad strength.
29. No matter what your age is, exercising regularly and doing the appropriate exercises for you will improve muscle strength and balance.
30. Love to golf but hate those sore elbows you feel afterwards? Stretch your forearms often.
31. Exercise is your time! Whatever you choose, make sure it is fun and that you enjoy it. No time to exercise? Schedule it into your day. Make yourself a priority this year.
32. Attention all moms! Babies can join into your exercise program and the added weight from pushing a stroller or carrying your baby builds muscle!
33. If you don’t use it, you lose it. This is so true. The good thing is that when you do decide to start moving again, your body will respond!
34. After exercise, stretch BEFORE you cool down. This prevents injury the next time you exercise
35. Listen to your body, it will tell what and what not to do.
36. Walk barefoot on the beach; not only does this feel great it gives your foot muscles a good workout and improves your balance.
37. Get a dog. They are the best and cheapest personal trainers you can get. 30 minutes of exercise a day is not only easy with them, but it’s also fun!
38. Rest is relative; when told to rest it doesn’t mean spending the next three days in bed. It means decreasing any activities that will aggravate your injury. If you’re off work continue with odd jobs around the house.  Keeping active reduces any stiffness that could occur.
39. Why not walk or run to work instead of taking the car during summer?
40. Try something new and out of your box! Have you always wondered about Tai Chi or Salsa dancing? Now’s the time to give it a whirl!
41. Integrate your exercises into your day – e.g. heel raises in the shower, pelvic floor exercises at the red lights.
42. Get off the bus a couple of stops early or park a few blocks away from your office so you get a bit of a walk.
43. Go for a walk at lunch.
44. Moderate exercise is better for your health than training to exhaustion. Keep some energy for the rest of the day.
45. Choose to stay active and choose a positive mindset to go with it. Go for a walk with a tall posture. It will make you feel better on the inside.
46. When in pain modify! But keep moving. Seizing up on the couch for days or weeks on end will give you the blues and quite likely not make you feel better.
47. Sedentary job? Try to walk around when speaking on the phone.
48. Maintaining your strength and suppleness is just as important later in life. Exercises aren’t just for those that look good in Lycra!
49. Don’t try to run before you can walk.
50. Gardening fitness – calling all gardeners! if you have trouble getting up from the ground use a kneeler with handles or have a solid chair in the garden where you can use it for support and somewhere to sit.
51. Walk for pleasure and health. Start with a time or distance you know you are comfortable with and build up gradually. Walk with a friend; you are more likely to do it regularly.
52. Plan your week around your physical activity, not the other way around. Make physical activity one of your non-negotiables in your routine.
53. Move more during the day even though you may exercise before or after work research shows moving during the day even for a few minutes are beneficial.
54. If you are going to be addicted to something be addicted to movement and functional activities. Such an addiction will promote wellness.
55. Exercise and you will live, sit and you shall perish
56. As the Chinese proverb dictates: a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step… Start slowly and build your fitness steadily and progressively.
57. Exercise with friends, it will help motivate you to do it and also allow you to catch up on gossip!
58. If your mobility is quite limited, start where you can. Walk to the mailbox to collect the mail every day, and then twice a day and gradually increase the distance.
59. Keep up with as many active jobs around the house as you can manage, washing cars, windows, gardening. These all count!
60. Variety is the spice of life – vary your exercise routine to reduce the risk of boredom leading to less regular exercise.
61. Pay attention to what you are doing. Many injuries occur when people are in a rush or distracted.
62. Think of your exercises like brushing your teeth, a daily habit that we never forget!
63. Remember your pelvic floor, an important part of your core. Try to contract those muscles 50 x per day.
64. Set a weekly goal of what you would like to achieve and stick to it.
65. Invest in some good shoes and clothes that make you feel good when you are exercising.
66. Make it cost you. If you buy a membership to a gym but don’t show up…well that’s not so good for the pocketbook or your health.
67. Get a pedometer to monitor your daytime exercise; the current health recommendation is that 10,000 steps per day are for good health. It’s great for the heart, your stamina and your aerobic fitness. So try walking whenever you can and enjoy seeing how far you’ve walked every day.
68. Treat yourself. If you meet your fitness goals for a week, reward yourself with something that you crave.
69. Never quit. Even if you fall off the wagon, get back on and don’t beat yourself up for missing a workout.
70. Join a team or group class. Being part of a group makes you work harder than if you were by yourself. You also don’t want to let them down if you don’t show up!
71. Get fit for your family. Working out regularly allows you to stay healthy and be able to enjoy your family into the future.
72. Staying fit and exercising regularly is the fountain of youth.
73. Make it a habit.
74. Half the battle is showing up.
75. You will never regret a workout.
76. Bring your gym bag to work. It’s easier to get the workout done before you get home.
77. Create a goal and look at the reasons why it is important to you to get fit.
78. Listen to music or a podcast while working out. Choose energetic and inspiring stuff to listen to while you are exercising.
79. Plan for 20 minutes of exercise. If you are feeling unmotivated, tell yourself that you can quit after 20 minutes; quite likely this will lead to a longer workout.
80. It’s easy to dismiss small victories as not important or to achieve interim goals and then immediately refocus on the long term. It’s worth taking a moment to celebrate when you achieve your little wins.
81. After your next workout, write down how awesome it feels to be finished with a workout and be able to relax, guilt-free, for the rest of the day. Take a look at that note when you’re struggling the next time you don’t feel like exercising.
82.  Learn more about working out; one of the biggest challenges to regular exercise is not knowing what to do or where to start… Do some research, get a trainer, or ask a friend to find out how to do things properly so you don’t get injured or de-motivated.
83. Schedule a reminder on your phone that your workout is coming up.
84. Surround yourself with fit people.
85. Sign up for a 30-day challenge.
86. Sign up for a charity event that involves a walk or run
87. Get more sleep! Simple. Sleep makes it easier to work out because it improves your mood and mental performance.
88. Energize yourself with the proper foods before and after exercise.
89. Hydrate! Go get a drink of water, right now. Most people don’t drink enough water. If you ever drink because you are thirsty, you have already experienced the effects of mild dehydration – any amount of thirst is a sign.
90. Have a heart. Exercise is essential for healthy cardiovascular function. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of illness and death.
91. Exercise boost energy rather than depletes it! It delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores.
92. Fall prevention can be avoided by having good balance.
93. Exercise also increases concentrations of norepinephrine, a chemical that can moderate the brain’s response to stress. So go ahead and get sweaty — working out can reduce stress and boost the body’s ability to deal with existing mental tension.
94. Use heat and cold treatments when appropriate to settle down those nagging injuries. If that doesn’t help call a physio!
95. Boost your self-confidence. On a very basic level, physical fitness can boost self-esteem and improve positive self-image. Regardless of weight, size, gender, or age, exercise can quickly elevate a person’s perception of his or her attractiveness, that is, self-worth.
96. Enjoy the great outdoors! Exercising outside lets you breathe in some fresh air, and get a little Vitamin D to say the least.
97. Prevent cognitive decline. As we get older, our brains get a little hazy. Exercise boosts the chemicals in the brain that support and prevent degeneration of the hippocampus, an important part of the brain for memory and learning.
98. Alleviate anxiety! Hopping on the track or treadmill for some moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercise can reduce anxiety. And we thought exercise was just a good way to burn calories!
99. Make sharper decisions. Various studies have shown that cardiovascular exercise can create new brain cells (aka neurogenesis) and improve overall brain performance and can help with decision making, higher thinking, and learning.
100. Find an activity that makes you happy. You will be more likely to keep up your exercise if you love it!!
101. Regular physical activity boosts memory and the ability to learn new things. Getting sweaty increases the production of cells in the hippocampus responsible for memory and learning.
102. Ever hit the hay after a long run or weight session at the gym? For some, a moderate workout can be the equivalent of a sleeping pill, even for people with insomnia.
103. Lose weight without dieting. If you walk 4 miles a day four times a week, you can burn about 1,600 calories or nearly half a pound a week. If you don’t change your diet at all and keep walking the same distance over six months, you’ll lose 12 pounds. Walk the same distance for a year and you’ll drop 24 pounds.
104. Here’s an idea of how to work that much exercise into your daily routine:
105. Take a 1-mile walk on a treadmill before work. Then, take a 1-mile walk around the office on your lunch break
106. Take a 1-mile walk after work with friends or the family dog.
107. Take a 1-mile walk on the treadmill while watching your favorite show before dinner.
108. Keep those bones strong. Studies show that resistance (strengthening) exercises boost bone mass and keep muscles strong and prevent osteoporosis.
109. Awesome skin! Exercise boosts circulation and the delivery of nutrients to your skin, helping to detoxify the body by removing toxins. Give your skin a glow!
110. Avoid the flu…..Regular exercise appears to help jump-start the immune system, thus helping to reduce the number of colds, flu, and other viruses.
111. Try to incorporate exercise into your life that has the three basics of a good exercise program: 1) flexibility 2) weight training 3) cardiovascular training
112. The benefits of exercise are FREE! Healthy skin, heart, bone, muscle and brain are all yours to keep.
113. Manage your diabetes with exercise. Lifestyle factors have a huge impact on certain conditions – and diabetes is one of them. Exercise can help to reduce your insulin requirements, lower your cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, and in the long term can reduce the development of heart disease and stroke.
114. Anti-ageing treatment….who doesn’t want that? Exercise increases the strength and size of muscles and improves lung function. Regular exercise can reduce body fat and lower the risk of chronic lifestyle diseases in the elderly. Recent literature suggests that the greatest threat to health is not the ageing process itself, but rather inactivity.
115. Improve your sex life. Studies suggest that the fitter you are, the better your sex life is…need we say more?
116. Dramatically reduce your risk of stroke.
117. Rev up your metabolism. Your BMI, or body mass index, provides an approximate measure of your overall metabolic status. Too high of a BMI is associated with a higher body content of fat…Aerobic exercise can bring your BMI down to normal levels mainly by swapping the fat for the fat-free tissues in your body. The good news is that the more you exercise, the more you are able to work off your body fat because muscle “burns off” more calories, effectively speeding up your metabolism.
118. Improves breathing. Ageing affects the tissues of the lung in some ways that can’t be changed by exercise. However, exercise can improve your breathing by strengthening the muscles that help your lungs open up to bring in oxygen and compress to push out carbon dioxide.
119. Lowers dementia risk. Exercise lowers your chances of developing dementia based on cardiovascular illness because you’re improving the flow of blood throughout your body, including your brain.
120. The only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen.
121. The choice to become fit and healthy will be the best decision you ever make.
122. Work out first thing in the morning. This way you will be less likely to skip it later when something else comes up in your day.
123. Improve your joint health; studies show that moderate low impact exercise is a great way to keep your joints lubricated and the protective muscles surrounding them strong.
124. Exercise=Energy. Want to get more done and be more productive? Exercise is the secret.
125. Remember how good you felt after the last workout. If you are feeling tired and low energy, remind yourself of that and get moving.
126. Makes you taller. Well, maybe not really, but getting those postural muscles strengthened will make sure your posture is perfect.
127. Having a strong core, flexible muscles and back and glut strength is essential in preventing back pain.
128. Too tired to exercise? Exercise is actually the best thing you can do to decrease fatigue by getting your cardiovascular system pumping.
129. Put your shoes on and get out the door. Chances are you will just keep on going.
130. Do you have enough iron? As a mineral that helps convert food to energy, iron is essential to keeping energy levels high. So make sure your diet includes 18 mg of iron every day—choose lean meats or legumes, leafy greens, and whole grains. Don’t forget citrus fruit and other juice with vitamin C, which improves iron absorption from plant foods.
131. Eat breakfast. Starting the day out with the proper fuel will give you the energy you need to make it through your workout later on. Hydrate yourself before, during and after exercise. Don’t wait until you are thirsty; this is a sign that you are already dehydrated.
132. Try interval training-how about a 30-minute core class followed by a 30-minute spin class to keep it interesting and balanced?
133. Change it up periodically. Change the intensity, frequency, or duration of your exercise at least once a month—try a harder step class, add one more walk a week, or do 5 extra minutes of lunges and jumping jacks. This level of variety challenges your muscles to keep “learning” and meeting new challenges so they can burn more.
134. Ramp it up! By increasing frequency, you’ll automatically spend more time burning calories and add another workout time to your schedule. Start with one extra 10-minute walk or weight session per week, and after it becomes a habit, increase the time or the intensity.
135. Hit the weights. Weight training develops the strength of the all-important core muscles in the trunk, lower back, and hip area, making your body better equipped for cardiovascular challenges. To start, substitute strength training for at least one of your regular workouts.
136. Move at every chance. Don’t avoid extra lifestyle activity if you’ve already worked out, thinking, “I got my exercise for the day.” Forget that type of reasoning. Instead, take all opportunities to challenge your muscles. At the grocery store, grab a basket instead of a cart. Move firewood by hand instead of using a wheelbarrow. Take the stairs at work.
137. Get some objective measurements from your family doctor on your vitals. Ask for a checkup and get the numbers on your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood-sugar levels and triglycerides and use these results to track your fitness.
138. Get a physiotherapist’s help. She can give you appropriate stretches, show you alternative weight exercises, or introduce you to a new activity, like yoga, that could help you get moving or heal from an injury sooner and get you back on your feet.
139. Squeeze in a few bodyweight exercises that you can do anywhere like squats, planks, chair dips and pushups – throughout the day. These four moves give you a full-body toning and strength session in just a few minutes.
140. Keep it simple! Find some exercises that you can do that are simple but still challenging, convenient, and inexpensive – and they work. Got 10 minutes? Then you have time to do a few moves.
141. Try 5 to 10 minutes of jumping jacks. (A 150-pound woman can burn 90 calories in one 10-minute session.)
142. After dinner, go outside and play tag or shoot baskets with your kids and their friends.
143. Walk around the block several times while you wait for your child to take a music lesson. As your fitness level improves, add 1-minute bursts of jogging to your walks.
144. Use your coffee break at work to spend 5-10 minutes climbing a few flights of stairs.
145. Waiting in line or at a red light? Strengthen your core with ab exercises. Stand or sit with your feet parallel and your knees relaxed. Contract the muscles around your belly button. Then elevate your upper torso, and release.
146. Do some exercises while you are watching television.
147. Plan ahead if you are going to be travelling. Pack your running shoes and call ahead to see if the hotel has a gym or great nearby walking trails.
148. Take the stairs to your hotel.
149. On a road trip? Get out every couple of hours and take a brisk walk around followed by some stretches…
150. CELEBRATE! Happy 150th Birthday to Canada and to YOU on your new year of fitness! We hope you enjoyed our 150 tips for health and fitness.

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